In its 29th year since Andrew Fairlie first won in 1984, judges will include Michel. Albert and Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr, Brian Turner, Gary Rhodes, Fairlie, David Nicholls and James Martin from popular BBC show Saturday Kitchen.
Entrants must be in full-time employment as a chef in the UK and aged between 22 and 30. They have until midnight on Monday 30 January to submit a recipe to serve four people using spring chicken and veal heart sweetbreads, accompanied by two garnishes and a sauce.
Simple or very complex dish
Alain Roux said: “Michel Roux Jr and I chose these ingredients because of the versatile way in which they can be prepared. Spring chicken can either be a very simple or very complex dish, giving the entrants plenty of scope to show us their skill and knowledge.
“The ingredients are affordable and probably something that most people cook with at home. We added the veal heart sweetbreads as a bit of luxury. It’s not an everyday ingredient so again there is the potential for our entrants to impress the judges.”
Mark Birchall, the 2011 scholarship winner, is currently completing his stage at critically acclaimed, El Celler de Can Roca in Spain, which is placed second in the Top 50 Restaurants of the World Awards. Frederick Forster, Roux Schoralrship 2000 winner, recently won the coveted title of National Chef of the Year 2011.
This year’s regional finals will be held on Thursday 8 March 2012 in Birmingham and London. Full details and application form are available on the website www.rouxscholarship.co.uk.